Concerns about the possible use of eminent domain have increased over the past year as three companies have proposed building underground pipelines across Iowa. At informational meetings around the state since November, many landowners have raised concerns about eminent domain, safety of the pipelines and whether the companies should get tax credits for projects that may make money for the owners but not help Iowans or the environment.
They opposed Senate File 2263, which would end the requirement the Senate confirm a governor’s appointments to about two dozen state boards and commissions. Currently, those appointments must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the 50-member Iowa Senate.
The Eastern Iowa Airport will be eligible for $28.4 million, which will enable the airport to complete the fourth and final phase of its terminal upgrade project.
One bill would create a state-funded psychiatry residency program in cooperation with the state’s mental health institutes, resource centers, training school Iowa Medical and Classification Center. Another would help mental health professionals pay school loans.
According to the National Council on Aging, about one in 10 Americans aged 60 or older have suffered from at least one form of elder abuse. In Iowa, the Department of Human Services saw a 37 percent increase in dependent abuse reports from the first half of 2020 to the second half of 2021, with 5,800 cases.
Iowa’s annual winter home heating moratorium will end April 1. The Iowa Utilities Board encourages energy assistance customers currently protected from service disconnection to contact their utility company to discuss payment options.
Among the bills that need at least some movement to survive this week’s funnel deadline are Republicans’ attempts to address what they consider transparency in public school curriculum.
Changes may be coming to Iowa’s recycling law, regardless of how beverage wholesalers and grocery stores feel about it, one state lawmaker Monday during a legislative hearing on the latest proposal in the seemingly annual effort to make changes to the state recycling law, more commonly known as the “bottle bill.”
Some have called expanding the bottle bill to include water and energy drinks, and double the deposit to a dime to increase the penny-per-can handling fee for redemption centers to 2 cents. Even that may not be enough to support redemption centers, especially in rural Iowa, according to Iowa State University economics professor Dermot Hayes, who has been analyzing the bottle bill for about 10 years.
In Iowa, the average gas price Thursday was $3.924, but topped $4 in many rural areas according to AAA. However, Iowa lawmakers say they’ve heard little talk of suspending state motor fuel taxes -- 30 cents a gallon state tax on gas and ethanol, and 32.5 on diesel fuel.
If lawmakers go along with legislation approved by the House, this weekend will be the last time Iowans have to go through the twice-a-year ritual of changing their clocks — if Congress also agrees.
Democratic gubernatorial challenger Deidre DeJear called for the state to fully fund education from preschool to college and to make at least 30 hours a week of child care available to families. She would support a moratorium on “factory farms” and more funding for Department of Natural Resources water quality efforts.
As she has done in the run-up to formally starting to campaign, Gov. Reynolds contrasted her leadership to that of the Biden administrations and the Democratic Congress.
On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast: Reynolds makes it official, filing season, midpoint of the legislative session, and support your local constitutional sheriff.
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